Alexandria Historic Cemeteries District

There’s a quiet patch of ground in Alexandria, Tennessee — a slope of earth held together by roots, stone, and memory — where time has worn away more than just headstones. It’s worn away names. And with them, the stories.

The Seay Chapel Cemetery, once a gathering place for worship and remembrance, is now a resting place for potentially 500 African American individuals. Some lived their entire life in slavery, others were born into slavery and found freedom in their lifetimes. Others were born free, but lived in a world that did not always treat them that way. Farmers, teachers, mothers, soldiers, preachers — they are all here, though many of their markers are missing, broken, or unreadable. Their names are fading from the earth. But they don’t have to fade from memory.

That’s where you come in.

We are working on a community-led restoration of Seay Chapel Cemetery, not only to preserve the grounds and honor the past, but to tell the stories of those buried here. We are asking for your help in identifying those who rest under this hallowed ground.

Because behind every name is a story — and every story is worth telling.

A Legacy Buried, Not Lost

Long before there were paved roads and GPS maps, there were footpaths leading to places like Seay Chapel. Built by a freed community in the years after the Civil War, Seay Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church served as a spiritual home, a meeting place, and a center of strength for generations of Black families in DeKalb County, and after a devastating fire built again in 1931.

The cemetery that grew adjacent is a reflection of that history. It is both sacred and silent. Many of the graves are unmarked. Others bear only fragments of names or dates. In some areas, depressions in the earth or rows of fieldstones hint at burials that have no recorded names at all. It is likely that many of those buried here were formerly enslaved — people whose names were not recorded in life and have since been lost in death.

But lost is not the same as gone.

We believe these lives still matter. And with your help, we can bring their names — and their stories — back into the light.

Call for Community Knowledge

We are collecting the names of those who may be buried at Seay Chapel Cemetery. We want to hear from descendants, relatives, neighbors, and community members who have family stories, obituaries, photographs, Bible records, or memories that point to a burial at Seay.

You don’t need to have full details. Even a name passed down through family lore, a vague memory of a relative being “buried by the church,” or a mention in a funeral program can be a crucial clue.

We are especially seeking:

• Names of individuals believed to be buried at Seay Chapel Cemetery
• Any family trees, obituaries, or burial records that may support this
• Oral histories, photos, or memories of funerals held there
• Church or community documents from the AME Church/Seay Chapel

If you have information to share, please contact us by email at alexandriahistoriccemeteries@gmail.com, visit our website at http://www.alexandriahistoriccemeteriesdistrict.com, or call 615.484.8189. Submissions can also be dropped off at the Smithville or Alexandria Public Library, or by mail at PO Box 14, Alexandria, TN 37012.

We’re also happy to schedule a time to speak with you or your family if you’d prefer to share your story in person.

Why It Matters

When we restore a name to a grave, we restore dignity. We remind the world that someone lived, mattered, and should not be forgotten. We ensure that children and grandchildren can trace their roots. We build a stronger, truer picture of the Black history of Alexandria and DeKalb County — one that includes the voices so often left out of written records.

This project is more than restoration. It is an act of reclamation. It is about bringing hidden history to the surface and recognizing the contributions of the African American community that built and sustained this town through generations of hardship and resilience.

What We Hope to Accomplish

As part of this initiative, we are:

• Compiling a full list of all known and suspected burials at Seay Chapel Cemetery
• Placing a permanent memorial stone to acknowledge those whose graves are unmarked
• Sharing the stories of those whose souls still echo here in a new series or articles called Stories under the stones…

This will take time. It will take research. It will take community effort. But more than anything, it will take memories and names.

Names like Mary, who likely taught her children to read by candlelight.
Names like Reverend Belcher, who walked the road between church and field until the day he couldn’t anymore. It was said he possessed a rich and mellow voice, with his singing and preaching attracting many from all areas of Alexandria.
Names like Eliza, whose only marker is a rock with no carved name
Names we’ve never heard — but whose descendants might still carry them in memory.

Be Part of the Story

What’s in a name?

A whole life. A legacy. A voice waiting to be heard again.

By sharing names, stories, and memories, you help us lift the veil on a piece of history too long hidden in the grass and stone. You help us tell the story of Seay Chapel Cemetery — not just as a place where people were buried, but as a place where lives were lived, loved, and remembered.

Let’s make sure they are not forgotten.

Friends of Alexandria Historic Cemeteries District